


Does it Almost Feel like Nothing Changed at All?

by patroclusandachilles (echelonlove)



Category: The Iliad - Homer, The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
Genre: M/M, this draws on both tsoa and the lombardo translation of the iliad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-24
Updated: 2013-09-24
Packaged: 2017-12-27 13:22:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/979440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/echelonlove/pseuds/patroclusandachilles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A sacred promise is made before Patroclus is sent to battle in Achilles' place</p>
            </blockquote>





	Does it Almost Feel like Nothing Changed at All?

Patroclus moved closer to Achilles, burying his face into his lover's neck. He closed his eyes and breathed Achilles in, thinking of how their lives could have been

_In Phthia_

_Ruling over the Myrmidons_

_Eating figs and playing the lyre_

_Laughing into the evening_

And in the darkness of his shuttered eyes he could almost pretend that things were as they had always been. The hard Trojan ground beneath them turning into the cold hard stone of Chiron's cave. The sound of the water against the shore turning into the gentle lapping of Phthian waves. The grating of rocks walked over by thousands of greek sandles turning into the gentle and terrifying grating of Thetis's voice proclaiming Achilles the greatest of all warriors. Nothing had changed. He still had his Achilles and he was happy for this one moment.

“Patroclus, I beg of you,” Achilles murmered. “Please do not do this. You are a great warrior, but I fear if I let you fight in my place, I shall never see you again among the living.”

“I promise you, Achilles, I will return. I will always return for you.”

Achilles turned to Patroclus and looked into his sad eyes. “Oh Patroclus, how I wish to the gods that every Greek and Trojan alike were dead and only you and I were left. And then, just the two of us together, we could rip down the walls of Troy, stone by sacred stone.”

Patroclus smiled wearily and pulled Achilles into him. “Do you think I don't wish the same? Every day, I want nothing more than the end of this war, and for you to be standing by my side, victorious and honored throughout the years.”

Achilles kissed Patroclus, and Patroclus sighed into him. “All right, I shall let you go in my place. But you must come back to me. Do not think of honor or killing after you have driven them off. Only think of me and of the life we could lead after this war.”

“I promise you, with all my heart, we will be together again.” Patroclus drew Achilles' head down to his chest so that his beloved could hear the sacred promise beat beat beating deep in his chest.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a song lyric prompt on tumblr. I'm patroclusandachilles over there, you should come say hi.


End file.
